Payroll Accountant at City of Bonney Lake – Bonney Lake, Washington

This position is open until filled with a first review date of June 13, 2025

Join our dedicated team and play a key role in ensuring accurate, timely payroll and benefits for City employees—where your expertise supports both financial integrity and the well-being of our workforce. Be part of a collaborative environment that values your attention to detail, problem solving, accuracy, and appreciates your commitment to public service where you will make a difference every day.

General Purpose Perform a variety of analytical, technical and administrative work to ensure timely execution of payroll and benefits. Contribute to the City’s vision, mission, and goals in the performance of all job duties.

Supervision
Reports To: Chief Financial Officer
Supervises: None
Essential Functions

• Provide technical expertise concerning payroll issues and procedures and provide solutions to problems in payroll that arise on a day-to-day basis.
• Audit information entered into the payroll system as well as information provided by customers to ensure City Policy, Labor Agreements, and Federal, State laws are followed, and payroll is accurately calculated.
• Responsible for payroll preparation/processing for employees, state and federal deposits, DRS, and other benefit providers.
• Prepare monthly and annual balancing reports in order to accurately prepare 941 quarterly as well as W-2 reporting pursuant to appropriate laws.
• Responsible for all monthly, quarterly and annual payroll reporting and tax preparation/submission.
• Respond to garnishment inquiries and track disbursements to facilitate reporting requirements.
• Maintain payroll changes for new, terminating and active employees.
• Maintain all leave requests and associated accrual files.
• Compile payroll statistics and costs pursuant to varying requests.
• Coordinate applicable information and/or requests with Human Resources to maintain compliance with city policy and state and federal laws.
• Monitor payroll related issues and maintains compliance with changing requirements.
• Coordinate and provide data/information and costing requests to the City’s representatives during labor negotiations.
• Provide technical assistance to employees related to payroll matters, assist them in understanding their paycheck or payroll data, and respond to employee questions in a timely manner i
• Design payroll related procedures, forms and provide input and training for electronic or manual programming.
• Review and monitor employee timesheet data to verify appropriate administration of leave policies and applicable coordination with employees.
• Work with appropriate vendors to ensure systematic efficiencies and compliance with various programs, laws, and policies.
• Coordinate with Human Resources in order to monitor policy direction and establish procedures to maintain compliance with benefit legislations. Coordinate and provide information/data to Human Resources as necessary to ensure compliance with city policy, state and federal benefit laws.
• Provide confidential support to the organization through payroll and accounting. Lead departmental and inter-departmental meetings, workshops and exercises as needed.
• Develop, review, and recommend changes to internal control policy/procedures to ensure proper accounting, financial reporting, compliance and safeguarding of the City’s assets.
• Monitor and maintain internal controls; interpret and use professional judgment to apply applicable regulations in compliance with accounting standards; propose and implement revisions and new procedures as required.
• Prepare a variety of studies, reports and related information for decision-making purposes.
• Participate and assist in the biennial budget process by provides payroll information as well as necessary summaries, charges, graphs and financial information for budget documentation.
• Represent the city during payroll related audits from various agencies including Department of Retirement Services, WA State Labor & Industries, and Internal Revenue Service.
• Implement terms of bargaining agreements, and ordinances including the creation of new deduction plans, hour types, garnishments, shifts, and leave plans.
• Comply with related laws, regulations, and policies.
• Commitment to working effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures, promoting a sense of belonging, and actively identifying and removing barriers to inclusion.
• Remain current with relevant technological advancements as it relates to the field.
• Maintain regular, reliable, and punctual attendance.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Education, Experience and License Requirements

• Associate degree in accounting, business administration, finance or a related field.
• Five (5) years’ experience in a public sector (government) setting with a concentration in payroll, accounting, finance, business administration, or a closely related field with at least three (3) of the five (5) focused solely on payroll administration.
• Or 7 years of relevant education and experience.
• Driver’s license

• Successful passing of a required background check and credit check.

Competency Requirements

• Attention to detail.
• Communicate effectively.
• Practice customer service focus.
• Maintain positive interactions with all individuals.
• Build collaborative relationships.
• Anticipate problems and develop contingency plans.
• Take initiative within job scope.
• Remain flexible to changing priorities.
• Determine priorities and take prompt action.
• Meet deadlines and responds to individuals in a timely manner.
• Cognizant to the attitudes, feelings or circumstances of others and have an awareness of how one’s behaviors may impact others.
• Work effectively with others to achieve common goals.
• Practice Social awareness.
• Resolves and works through conflict with grace, dignity, tact and respect.
• Ability to:
  • Problem solve challenging matters in a timely manner.
  • Organize and oversee payroll and benefits reconciliations to assure city employees are paid in a timely and accurate manner.
  • Perform complex mathematical equations.
  • Define problems, collect data, establish facts, draw valid conclusions and provide appropriately detailed recommendations for solution.
  • Ability to interpret a variety of technical instructions.
  • Prepare and maintain a variety of automated and manual records and reports;
  • Maintain confidentiality of employee information.
• Knowledge of:

• Principles and practices of governmental accounting theory, principles, and practices.
• Internal control procedures.
• Principles and techniques involved in payroll and benefits preparation, processing withholdings, garnishments and supplemental insurances.
• Confidential matters of high sensitivity and priority.
• City policies and procedures and state/federal law.
• Budgetary, accounting and reporting systems (BARS).

Physical Demands

• Moving throughout City facilities and buildings.
• Travel to off-site locations and move throughout the community as needed.
• Operate a computer and other office equipment.
• Communicate with City employees and residents.
• Lift or move items weighing up to 25 pounds on occasion.

Work Environment

• 100% of work is performed in an office environment.
• Noise level in the office is moderately quiet.
• Work evening and/or weekend hours as needed.
• Night meetings may be required.

Approved reasonable accommodation requests will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
Core Values
The City is a team of dedicated professionals who respect and serve the community and each another and has highlighted six core values:

• Professionalism: Being ambassadors of the City by providing expert service delivery.
• Service: Giving helpful assistance or advice to our customers.
• Accountability: Performing the duties of my position in a responsible way.
• Respect: Fairly considering the rights, opinions and ideas of others.
• Integrity: Acting in harmony with the laws and values of the City.
• Teamwork: Working together to best serve the community.